Karnataka admits, Bellandur Lake will not be cleaned anytime soon
- It's official, the Karnataka government can't clean the Bellandur lake within the NGT's deadline.
- Sources say that the lake can be cleaned realistically only by 2020, and not the NGT's one month.
- The government wants to present its case to the NGT on May 18, asking for time till 2020.
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The Karnataka government will be unable to clean the Bellandur lake in one month and it is ready to present its case to the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Government sources say that there are several reasons why the lake can’t be revived within the deadline issued by the NGT on April 18.
Earlier, the NGT had given the state government a month’s deadline to clear the lake. However, sources say that the task of shutting down nearby industries will take time. Mahendra Jain, additional secretary, urban development department told reporters that they are ready to present their case before the NGT on May 18. He said that they will ask time until 2020.
For the government, closing down industries in the catchment area is the biggest problem. A source told TOI said the industries operating near the lake are doing so with the government’s licence and this could lead to a legal problem for the state.
In its April 18 order, NGT said it wants zero liquid discharge into the lake. This can be possible only when industrial units have their own treatments plants and reuse treated water. For the state government, these are some of the difficult directives that can’t be achieved realistically in a month.
Bengaluru's 1,000-acre Bellandur lake is severely polluted and has been in the news for catching fire due to the pollutants that are dumped in the water body. The lake, which is filled with dried weed, garbage and chemicals from industries nearby has become a cause of concern for the locality's residents who have to drive dangerously when the lake catches fire.Â
